1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to systems which are used to provide access to commercial jet aircraft during maintenance. More specifically, the invention relates to an aircraft maintenance system that is simple to deploy and is more effective at providing access to different types of aircraft than systems which have previously been used.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Regular and thorough maintenance is necessary to ensure that the large fleets of modern airliners used in commercial aviation are as safe and reliable as possible. For economic reasons, it is important that such maintenance be carried out as quickly and efficiently as possible.
In practice, it is sometimes difficult for individual maintenance personnel to gain access to desired areas on an aircraft. To address this problem, certain roof-suspended scaffolding systems have been devised. Such a system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,602,335 to Gustetic. Among other disadvantages, such systems often require reinforcement of the roof of a maintenance hangar before they can be deployed. Other, prior art systems include those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,256,955 to Izmirian et al., and 3,831,709 to Stanford et al.
One problem that is common to all three of the above-disclosed systems is that, generally, they are readily adjustable to receive different types of aircraft. For example, most aircraft have a characteristic downward inclination from the nose of the fuselage toward the tail section while they are resting on the ground. Typically, prior art maintenance systems are not readily adjustable at both ends to accommodate themselves to such differences between aircraft. Furthermore, prior art systems are not length-adjustable to permit servicing of different sizes of aircraft. These are all significant disadvantages to the prior art, since most commercial airlines have several different types of aircraft in their fleets.
Another problem not addressed by existing systems is that exit and entry ports along the fuselage of the aircraft are typically not arranged in a linear path. In systems that use strictly horizontal access walkways along the length of the fuselage, maintenance personnel are forced to traverse significant vertical upward or downward steps to gain entry to the fuselage at certain points. This, of course, presents danger, particularly when tools or aircraft components are carried into or out of the fuselage.
Yet another problem that exists in such systems is the difficulty of gaining access to the various engines of the aircraft. For example, a Boeing 727 airliner has three engines, all in the tail section of the aircraft. To date, no system has been devised which provides adequate access to all three engines, particularly when removal of one or more of the engines is required.
Other specific aircraft models present access problems as well. For example, the size of Boeing 747 aircraft require special arrangements to gain access to such portions as the horizontal and vertical stabilizers of the aircraft.
It is clear that there has existed a long and unfilled need in the prior art for an aircraft maintenance facility that can be deployed without reinforcement of a maintenance hangar, which is adjustable to the inclination of different types of aircraft, which is vertically adjustable to provide access to different ports along an aircraft fuselage, and which is readily adaptable to provide access to engines on an aircraft.